Politician
Matt Cartwright
Democrat · Pennsylvania · ran 3 times since 2020, won 2 · incumbent
FEC candidate H2PA17079
Matt Cartwright (Democrat) raised $8.7M for the 2024 Pennsylvania 8th District race, $1.9M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $775K for and $8.6M against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2024). They lost.
Raised, all cycles
$18M
2024, 2022, 2020; counted once per cycle
From PAC checks
26%
$4.6M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$1.2M
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$15M
Spent attacking them
Every run
Each election and its result. Campaign receipts cover the whole cycle and can appear in both regular and special contests; they count once in the totals above.
| Cycle | Race | Raised | PAC share | Outside for / against | Google ads | All money | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Pennsylvania 8th District | $8.7M | 22% | $775K / $8.6M | – | $18M | ✗ Lost |
| 2022 | Pennsylvania 8th District | $5.4M | 29% | $226K / $6.6M | $11K | $12M | ✓ Won |
| 2020 | Pennsylvania 8th District | $4.0M | 30% | $211K / $129K | – | $4.3M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $1.1MUnion $1.0MLeadership PAC $898KTrade group $444KOther $393KMembership $291KSuper PAC $166KParty $32K
- Democracy Summer 2024Other$20K
- National Air Traffic Controllers Association PACUnionLobbyist PAC$20K
- General Dynamics Corporation Political Action Committee (General Dynamics Employee PAC)CorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- PAC to the FutureLeadership PAC$20K
- Digidems PACSuper PAC$20K
- JstreetpacMembershipLobbyist PAC$19K
- Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee United Brotherhood of Carpenters and JoinersUnionLobbyist PAC$15K
- House Majority PACSuper PAC$15K
- National Weather Service Employees Organization Political Action CommitteeUnion$11K
- DCCCParty$11K
- Gentex Corporation Political Action Committee; theCorporate$10K
- Space Exploration Technologies Corp. PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- Congressional Leadership Fundagainst $9.3M
- NRCCagainst $5.3M
- Rjc Victory Fundagainst $436K
- House Majority PACfor $300K
- For Our Futurefor $290K
- Seiu Cope (Service Employees International Union Committee On Political Education)for $176K
- Keep Pa Greatagainst $129K
- Americans for Prosperity Actionagainst $110K
- Climate Power Actionfor $60K
- Lcv Victory Fundfor $43K
Funding and votes
How their votes align with industry funding
Across 12 industry-vote comparisons with at least $10K in traced funding, they voted the industry's way 7 times (58%). This is a retrospective comparison using covered 2020–2026 runs; some money arrived after the vote. A vote can appear for multiple industries. Unknown coverage is excluded. “With industry” means its stated preferred side, and does not establish causation.
| Vote | Industry | Their money from it | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIT21 (crypto market structure)House · 2024 · 279–136 | Crypto wanted yea | $10 | Nay · against |
| Israel Security Assistance Support ActHouse · 2024 · 224–187 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $11K | Yea · with industry |
| SAB 121 repealHouse · 2024 · 228–182 | Crypto wanted yea | $10 | Nay · against |
| Antisemitism Awareness ActHouse · 2024 · 320–91 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $11K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel security supplemental (Apr 2024)House · 2024 · 366–58 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $11K | Yea · with industry |
| Ukraine security supplementalHouse · 2024 · 311–112 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $99K | Yea · with industry |
| Protecting Health Care for All Patients ActHouse · 2024 · 211–208 | Pharma and health care wanted yea | $86K | Nay · against |
| Joint-employer rule repealHouse · 2024 · 206–177 | Labor unions wanted nay | $652K | Nay · with industry |
| NDAA FY2024House · 2023 · 310–118 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $99K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel aid (Nov 2023)House · 2023 · 226–196 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $11K | Nay · against |
| Pistol brace rule repealHouse · 2023 · 219–210 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 · 225–204 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $6K | Nay · against |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 · 221–205 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $6K | Nay · against |
| Merger Filing Fee Modernization ActHouse · 2022 · 242–184 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $31K | Yea · against |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 · 220–207 | Oil, gas and coal wanted nayPharma and health care wanted nayWall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | $1K$30K$10K | Yea · againstYea · againstYea · against |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 · 217–213 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 · 234–193 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 · 232–193 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $30K | Yea · against |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 · 227–203 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| PRO Act (union organizing)House · 2021 · 225–206 | Labor unions wanted yea | $314K | Yea · with industry |
Constituents vs. funders
Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 4 of 4 key votes (100%)
On 1 vote, industries that gave them $10K+ before the vote wanted the opposite of what most of their constituents wanted. They sided with the funders 0 times and with their constituents 1. Constituent views come from the Cooperative Election Study, a survey of about 60,000 adults a year. A side counts as what constituents wanted only when it leads by more than the margin of error; closer results are shown as split. Party explains most votes, and none of this shows that money changed a vote.
| Vote | Their constituents | Their funders | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 | 60% support ±12PA-08 · split · CES 2024 · related question | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayVoters split |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 | 60% support ±12PA-08 · split · CES 2024 · related question | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayVoters split |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 | 57% support ±9PA-08 · split · CES 2022 | $30K Pharma and health care wanted nay | YeaVoters split |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 | 62% support ±9PA-08 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 | 88% support ±2Pennsylvania (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 | 89% support ±6PA-08 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | $30K Pharma and health care wanted nay | YeaVoters over funders |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 | 92% support ±2Pennsylvania (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
The revolving door
2 former aides now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Matt Cartwright's office among the government positions they held, and who they now work for. A listed former position does not establish contact with that office.
Sarah StevensFormer congressional staff
Policy Advisor, Senator Ben Cardin; Senior Legislative Assistant, Congressman Matt Cartwright; Legislative Assistant, Congressman Russ Carnahan
Now lobbies for City Parks Alliance, Water Quality Association, Metropolitan Washington Council Of Governments · via Signal Group Consulting, LLC, Current Strategies
Stephen CoffeyFormer congressional staff
Rep. Gene Green, Legal Intern; Rep. Matt Cartwright, Deputy Chief of Staff and House Appropriations Committee Associate Staff
Now lobbies for American Association For Justice
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Matt Cartwright's 2024 campaign?
- Matt Cartwright (Democrat) raised $8.7M for the 2024 Pennsylvania 8th District race, $1.9M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $775K for and $8.6M against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2024). They lost.
- Which PACs gave the most to Matt Cartwright?
- Democracy Summer 2024 ($20K), Digidems PAC ($20K), Jstreetpac ($19K), National Weather Service Employees Organization Political Action Committee ($11K), Space Exploration Technologies Corp. PAC ($10K) in 2024.
- Which super PACs spent on Matt Cartwright's race?
- Congressional Leadership Fund ($7.0M against), NRCC ($1.5M against), House Majority PAC ($300K for) in 2024.
- How much has Matt Cartwright raised across elections?
- $8.7M in 2024, $5.4M in 2022, $4.0M in 2020. Receipts are counted once per candidate and cycle.